Lyda Hill Philanthropies is launching a statewide contest to improve health care, unemployment and the environment.

Nicole Small is calling all crusaders who want to help Texas in a positive and very big way.

The CEO of Dallas-based Lyda Hill Philanthropies is launching the Lone Star Prize, a statewide competition for a singularly brilliant, “shovel-ready” idea that will improve health care, protect the environment or boost the workforce of Texans. The grand prize is a $10 million grant.

“We thought this project was really important three months ago,” Small said in an interview Monday. “We know it’s 150% critical now.”

The Lone Star Prize is a mini-version of the MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change project, which grants $100 million for a high-impact project that acts as a catalyst for large-scale, transformational change.

Small and her philanthropic billionaire boss, Lyda Hill, have wanted to hold a similar competition for several years and jumped at the opportunity when they were presented with the idea a year ago.

”Given this pandemic and the challenges facing our state, our nation and globally, we’re excited to put capital to work to develop new workforce and health care solutions,” Small said. “We believe that science is the answer. That is our mantra. It’s been on the back of Lyda’s [business] card as long as she’s had one.”

Hill has chosen to donate her entire estate to philanthropy and scientific research.

Lyda Hill Philanthropies is partnering with Lever for Change, which will manage the process. The affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation connects worthy high-impact causes to high-dollar donors.

Small expects hundreds of entries.

“Anyone who can bring a big idea for Texas and show that they can scale it will be a great contender for this $10 million prize,” she said.

By “anyone,” Small means just that — almost. “We want everybody to know that we’re looking for the best ideas. It may come from well-known nonprofits. It may come from startup ideas,” she said. “It does need to be groups that can take this kind of money and run with it.”

And all proposals must be led by an organization with an existing operating presence in Texas.

Online registration is due by June 23 at lonestarprize.org, and applications are due July 22. The recipient will be announced in the summer of 2021.

The competition is not intended to specifically deal with coronavirus, Small said, but she does see a silver lining to the pandemic. “I do believe we’ll be able to look back on the innovation and speed with which we began to address problems. Sometimes there is a necessity to move faster, think differently and push harder.”

And the competition will produce something even more important than a brilliant idea, she said. “The biggest piece to this will probably be the most overlooked. It will be the pipeline of projects that we will be able to feed and distribute to funders across the state.

“MacArthur was able to raise hundreds of millions of dollars because of the (100&Change) project. We hope that happens here, too,” she said.

The database will be open source so that every funder, state or federal agency can access it and put money toward projects that have been fully vetted, she said.

“And if there are any other funders that want to join in on the process, they are absolutely welcome to join us right now.”

AT A GLANCE: The Lone Star Prize

What it is: A statewide competition sponsored by Lyda Hill Philanthropies and managed by Lever for Change, an affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Who can apply: Any nonprofit, for-profit enterprise or team. All proposals have to be led by an organization with an existing operating presence in Texas.

Focus: Ideas must improve health care, protect the environment or boost the workforce in Texas. Proposals must offer solutions that are feasible, scalable, evidence-based and transformative.

Deadlines: Online registration by June 23; applications due July 22. Recipient announced in the summer of 2021.

Cheryl Hall, Business columnist. Cheryl, a journalism graduate of SMU, has covered business for more than 45 years and gets her phone calls returned. She's won numerous awards including several Katies from the Press Club of Dallas and a lifetime distinguished achievement award from the Society of American Business Editors and writers.